The Vibration of Appreciation: Changing Your Personal Frequency

What’s good?

This week’s issue is coming to you directly from a spiritual retreat with 40 young women who have been courageously exploring their own vulnerability, confidence, identity, purpose, strength, resiliency, power, and so much more. As I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be a mere fragment of their experience, I am taken aback by how transformative appreciation can be for all of us. Appreciation is the element that transforms jealousy from weeds to fertilizer.

Today, we'll briefly unpack how appreciation isn't just a feeling, but an ACTION and a CHOICE that reshapes our entire experience. In this edition, we'll:

• Understand the science of gratitude's impact

• Learn how appreciation changes our neurological patterns

• Discover practical ways to shift our personal "vibration"

Fireflies

Our synchronizing friends are back with some brilliant minds whose work illuminates the science of goodness and brightens the metaphorical night sky:

• The Pods: Dr. Brené Brown's podcast "Unlocking Us" explores vulnerability, gratitude, and human connection

• The Pages: What happens when we spend a year looking at the bright side of life, find out and journey along with the fascinating experiment in Janice Kaplan’s The Gratitude Diaries

• The Web: Positive News (positive.news) offers constructive journalism highlighting global progress and inspiring stories

• The Scroll: Join the 16M people following Jay Shetty on Instagram alone. Jay provides daily content on personal growth and mindful living. Even if you don’t resonate with Jay, his guests alone are enough to make this follow one of the most valuable.

What’s Good merch

Sport your curiosity proudly! Visit The What’s Good Store to grab gear that sparks conversations about gratitude. Wear what you live!

The Frequency of Goodness

Neuroscience reveals something profound: gratitude isn't just a nice feeling. It's a biological game-changer.

When you practice appreciation, your brain:

• Reduces stress hormones

• Increases dopamine and serotonin

• Strengthens neural pathways of positive thinking

• Improves immune system functioning

It's not about toxic positivity. It's about perspective. It’s about responding to our circumstances instead of being defined by them. It’s about radical acceptance and finding growth in every moment.

Your "have-nots" are not failures. They're invitations to grow, expand, to learn, to appreciate the journey.

An Unexpectedly Appreciative Reflection

Today's reflection practice is based on neuroscience. Find a quiet moment and engage these three scientifically-validated questions:

1. What unexpected gifts have appeared in my life recently?

2. Where am I comparing myself instead of appreciating my unique journey?

3. What one thing can I appreciate about a challenge I'm facing?

Bonus Step: share your own “what’s good” here. our story might be the light someone needs.

Spread goodness

Appreciation multiplies when shared. Forward this newsletter to someone who might need a reminder of their own worth. They can subscribe below.